The Chaos of Standing Still

Over the course of one chaotic night stranded at the Denver airport, Ryn confronts her shattered past thanks to the charm of romance, the uniqueness of strangers, and the magic of ordinary places in this stunning novel from the author of Boys of Summer.

Ryn has one unread text message on her phone. And it’s been there for almost a year.

She hasn’t tried to read it. She can’t. She won’t. Because that one message is the last thing her best friend ever said to her before she died.

But as Ryn finds herself trapped in the Denver International Airport on New Year’s Eve thanks to a never-ending blizzard on the one-year anniversary of her best friend’s death, fate literally runs into her.

And his name is Xander.

When the two accidentally swap phones, Ryn and Xander are thrust into the chaos of an unforgettable all-night adventure, filled with charming and mysterious strangers, a secret New Year’s Eve bash, and a possible Illuminati conspiracy hidden within the Denver airport. But as the bizarre night continues, all Ryn can think about is that one unread text message. It follows her wherever she goes, because Ryn can’t get her brialliantly wild and free-spirited best friend out of her head.

Ryn can’t move on.

But tonight, for the first time ever, she’s trying. And maybe that’s a start.

As moving as it is funny, The Chaos of Standing Still is a heartwarming story about the earth-shattering challenges life throws at us—and the unexpected strangers who help us along the way.

About the Author

Jessica Brody knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started self “publishing” her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples, and electrical tape.

After graduating from Smith College in 2001 where she double majored in Economics and French and minored in Japanese, Jessica later went on to work for MGM Studios as a Manager of Acquisitions and Business Development. In May of 2005, Jessica quit her job to follow her dream of becoming a published author.

Since then, Jessica has sold over twelve novels for teens, tweens, and adults including 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, The Karma Club, My Life Undecided, and the three books in the Unremembered trilogy, the first of which is currently in development as a major motion picture by the producers of The Vampire Academy, Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, and Slumdog Millionaire. In 2016, she will release two new contemporary novels, A Week of Mondays (August) and Boys of Summer (April), and in 2017, her debut middle grade novel entitled, Addie Bell’s Shortcut to Growing Up, will hit bookstore shelves.

Jessica also writes books for the Descendants: “School of Secrets” series, based on the hit Disney Channel Original movie, Descendants!

Jessica’s books are published and translated in over twenty foreign countries. (Click here for a full list of foreign sales and publishers.) She currently splits her time between California and Colorado.

Review

This was a quick read for me! I really, really liked the voice of Ryn. She is someone who doesn’t hold back with her internal monologue, despite her struggle to be open with people around her.

Watching her grow over the course of the novel was the best part, and I think the point of the book. I liked how Ryn talked about Lottie with loving remembrance, and her memories are something important to her. It speaks true to how some people grieve. Memories are slippery things, and when Ryn looks back with hindsight it’s easy for her to see flaws but also cherish them.

I found myself getting frustrated with Lottie as a character. It’s easy to see why Ryn likes her is best friends with her. I felt that Ryn’s glorification of Lottie made it hard to see Lottie as just a person. Ryn looks at her with rose-colored glasses, especially because she wants to remember only the good things about Lottie. As a reader, I could look in with outside perspective, so I wasn’t as convinced of Lottie’s invincibility. I think the dynamic nature of Lottie herself shouldn’t be overlooked, and I can appreciate that.

Xander was great as a character, but let’s be real, Troy was the awesome male character here. The idea of running into a child genius prodigy in an airport, and then befriending him is a little wild and I liked it. The conspiracy of the Denver airport was so interesting, and I loved the part where Troy and Ryn look for clues about it. I think that he added a new perspective for Ryn, and I liked their relationship.

The setting of the book played well into the plot. Being stuck in forces Ryn to face up to something really hard for her. It’s something that Ryn has been struggling with for months, and probably will for years to come. However, I think that this first step really pushes her to deal with Lottie’s death more openly than she has before.